3 campgrounds with availability this weekend
Riverside County Park and Cedar Bridge County Park near Osage provide upscale glamping accommodations set along scenic riverfront locations. Riverside's glamping sites feature full hookups with both 30-amp and 50-amp electric options, private fire rings, and picnic tables in spacious settings with views of the Little Cedar River. Cedar Bridge offers glamping accommodations with water and electric hookups in a tranquil woodland setting along the Cedar River. Both locations include modern shower facilities and clean restrooms with amenities not typically found at standard campgrounds. A recent visitor noted, "Beautiful large sites along the river so you can fish as well as has a pond that you can swim in with three beach entry areas. Large bath house with restrooms and showers."
The natural surroundings at these glamping resorts provide excellent outdoor recreational opportunities without sacrificing comfort. Cedar River access makes these locations perfect for kayaking, tubing, and fishing, with sandy river bottoms ideal for swimming during summer months. Riverside County Park features a natural-themed children's play area with a treehouse, lighted waterfall at the swimming pond, and walking trails that connect to 200 acres of county land. Guests can explore the extensive trail systems for hiking and wildlife viewing while enjoying the privacy of well-spaced luxury sites. According to one camper, "Nice walking trails on the east and south side of the park. Very creative natural play park for children to play on. Full hook up sites with a very reasonable nightly rate." Both glamping destinations maintain a peaceful atmosphere while offering convenient access to local attractions in the Osage area.
"There are about 20 self-serve sites with electric and water. Self serve firewood. Dump station and dumpsters near the exit. Clean bathrooms and showers. Lots of space at each campsite."
"It runs along the Cedar River and has a put in for paddlers nearby. It is situated right off the blacktopped road."
"New Shower house/bathrooms. Natural themed kids play area including a huge tree house. City water and sewer with 50 and 30 amp to each site. Man made swimming pond with a lighted waterfall."
"Large bath house with restrooms and showers and a little free library inside. Very long parking pads- big rig friendly and very roomy sites."
"Had a small swimming beach, nice bathrooms and showers dump station. Saw many people swimming off their boat/pontoons as the bottom is sandy and the current is very very slow."
"We had an electric site. Very level and clean. Nice fire pit and located right next to the lake. Only downside was the site was electric only."
"We arrived on a Sunday and stopped at the Park Welcome area. We got the last spot with electric for 3 nights. Nice staff! Ice was available."
Available this weekend
from $24 - $34 / night
"The rest of the sites are beautiful with electric hook up. Nice clean bathroom and hot shower!"
"Pros: Clean/well maintained, easy short path through the trees to get to the beach, sturdy picnic tables all around, long “driveway” for campsite Cons: pads are gravel and not very level, pads are very"
Available this weekend
from $12 - $20 / night
"Water electric at each site. Dump station on site. Nice swimming beach and many fishing jetties."
"Bathrooms were clean. Good cell phone signal. Small lake for fishing and swimming working walking distance"
"There are so many activities to do both within the park and surrounding areas, but my most favorite thing to do was walk the endless miles of hiking trails."
"It can be a little confusing because the camping and mystery caves are a distance apart. I highly recommend going to the caves."
Campground full this weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $25 - $90 / night
"Bathroom and shower available. Each site has a fire pit and picnic table. Some sites suitable for hammock camping."
"This sites are spread out enough that you have a little privacy and each site has a fire pit and picnic table. This area is actually part of the owners farm. Bonus, it’s dog friendly."
"Located by New Ulm, MN this campground has plenty of activities in the park or very near the park."
"Very clean bathhouse and bathrooms, park. Family friendly and quiet place to camp."
Available this weekend
from $10 - $18 / night
"Check in was quick, spots were easy to pull into, the bathrooms were really clean, and it was surprisingly quiet despite the proximity to the highway. "
"We stopped for the night driving between Black Hills and Chicago and the service was awesome. The hosts called to tell us about construction and give us alternative directions."
RangerThis campground has large private sites, most are shady or partially shaded. Bathrooms are large and well maintained. There’s lots of good hiking trails and the historic town of Forestville was interesting to explore. Absolutely no cell coverage for T-Mobile or AT&T but luckily our site had a good opening in the trees for our Starlink. Would definitely recommend.
TravelerWe tent camped one night, midweek late August. Our site was private, close enough to the shower house but far enough away that we didn't hear any noise from the exhaust fans. Was a lovely quiet night. On a tight schedule so we weren't able to sample any of the hikes. Would stay here again. #33 also looked like a prime tent camp spot.
GuideThe Nonelectric sites at the White Fox campground were very nice. Great size and mostly private. The electric sites were definitely less private. The showers were clean and the vault toilets actually had a light inside! Trails were very nice.
GuideThis park is very nice. It has long gravel FHU sites. Bathrooms/shower house is fairly new, but they must have high iron levels b/c the toilets and walls already have brown stains. Kid friendly. walking path. Downfalls: Not much shade yet. You have to register online and some older folks don't like that.
GuideWould have been OK for one night, but we decided ahead of time to spend 4 nights. The entry needs a lot of work.(Several potholes that need to be filled in along the whole driveway both sides. Laundry room was nice although 3 washers and 2 dryers seem odd. Only $2 to wash and /or dry. We didn't use the RR/showers but went in and looked at it and it looked nice. They had a small enclosed dog run. There was a very small playground. No activities for adults or kids while we were there. Just a camp site. They did have a few newer cabins. There was a sign that it was under new management, but no one introduced themselves as the new owners. When asked if we could check out an hour late, the young guy in the office said we don't usually allow that, but I suppose it would be OK if you donate to the children's fund that we sponsor.
GuideVery nice campground with full hookups. Many sites are reservable and inexpensive.
ScoutOriginal plan was to make it to Magnolia MN and camp there, but a few small setbacks occurred and needed to find a camp site sooner than that. Found this place on the Dyrt app, and called the owner. He was friendly and let me know he had a few spots available. Once I got there, I checked in, put a pin on the map for where I was from, and after he loaded the bunch of wood, he led me to my site.
Place is very clean. Flush toilets and shower stall. Lots of things for campers to do here as well.
Would recommend if you prefer a nice quiet campground away from busy roads.
ScoutSpacious sites, clean (very clean) shower and bathroom facilities.
GuideMany long sites with picnic tables and power at sites. Must be reserved online. Beware of site numbers in 70s as they have very significant slope!
Cedar Bridge County Park and Riverside County Park provide key glamping access points in Osage, Iowa. The region sits in the Upper Midwest agricultural belt at around 1,168 feet elevation with temperatures that range from winter lows below freezing to summer highs around 83°F. Multiple county-managed parks offer camping between the Cedar River and Little Cedar River watersheds, creating opportunities for water recreation throughout the summer months.
Fishing opportunities: Cedar Bridge County Park provides direct access to the Cedar River with sandy river bottom. "You will love this park. There are about 20 self-serve sites with electric and water. Self serve firewood. Sitting right on the Cedar River, it's a great location to kayak and tube," notes camper Tim M.
Swimming areas: Many campgrounds feature designated swimming spots for cooling off during summer. At Halvorson Park, visitors enjoy "a small swimming beach, nice bathrooms and showers dump station. Saw many people swimming off their boat/pontoons as the bottom is sandy and the current is very very slow," according to Kris E.
Hiking trail systems: Several parks connect to extensive trail networks. Airport Lake Park features walking paths around the lake perimeter. Paul W. reports that the "camper spots were huge with plenty of space between sites. Fire ring was on a cement slab. Small lake for fishing and swimming within walking distance."
Clean facilities: Riverside County Park receives consistent praise for maintenance standards. Paul H. notes, "40 site Totally renovated 2 years ago nestled along the little Cedar river above the dam. New Shower house/bathrooms. Natural themed kids play area including a huge tree house."
Affordable rates: Many campers appreciate reasonable pricing at county parks near Osage. At Pilot Knob State Park, Eric J. found that "Beautiful campground. Well maintained. Nice facilities. You can't beat this place for the price. Nice hiking trails too."
Spacious sites: Several campgrounds feature well-spaced campsites that provide privacy. At Airport Lake Park Campground, a visitor mentioned, "Camper spots were huge with plenty of space between sites. Fire ring was on a cement slab. Bathrooms were clean. Good cell phone signal."
Seasonal considerations: Most campgrounds operate from April through October with limited winter access. "Clear lake state park is a nice campground. It does get very busy during peak season and traffic is continuous," Tiffany shares about camping near Osage.
Reservation requirements: Some parks require advance booking while others operate first-come, first-served. At Cedar Bridge, Tim M. reports: "We showed up at 8:00 on a Friday evening and spots were available!" But this can vary by season and campground.
Utility hookup limitations: Different campgrounds offer varying levels of service. Clear Lake State Park has "limited full hook up sites. I wish there were more full hook ups that you could reserve," according to Becky M., who also noted the "playground was fun for the kids, nice beach access!"
Playground access: Many campgrounds include child-friendly play areas. At Riverside County Park, a visitor notes there's a "Very creative natural play park for children to play on. Full hook up sites with a very reasonable nightly rate."
Beach swimming options: Several locations feature sandy-bottom swimming areas ideal for children. Airport Lake Park offers "a small lake for fishing and swimming within walking distance," according to one camper.
Nature exploration opportunities: Forestville Mystery Cave State Park provides educational experiences within driving distance. One visitor shared: "There are so many activities to do both within the park and surrounding areas, but my most favorite thing to do was walk the endless miles of hiking trails."
Site leveling: Some campgrounds have more level sites than others. Jacob B. at Pilot Knob State Park found "For $12/night on a 30AMP hookup, I really can't complain. This is my first of many stops in the new RV, needed a place to camp out before getting it serviced the next day."
Pull-through availability: Many campers appreciate easy access sites. At Albert Lea KOA, Bob P. reported "spots were easy to pull into, the bathrooms were really clean, and it was surprisingly quiet despite the proximity to the highway."
Dump station access: Most county parks provide dump stations for RVers. Tim M. noted that Cedar Bridge Park offers a "dump station and dumpsters near the exit. Clean bathrooms and showers. Lots of space at each campsite."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Osage, IA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Osage, IA is Cedar Bridge County Park with a 4.5-star rating from 2 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Osage, IA?
TheDyrt.com has all 17 glamping camping locations near Osage, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
